Eagles

The Eagles made a stop in Singapore on their Long Road Out Of Eden tour, and I took the chance to check them out. It was the best concert I have seen in years, if not ever. Forty years after Glenn Frey and Don Henley first got together, they are still going strong. They played for over three hours - 28 songs - and they were on! They opened with Seven Bridges Road and proceeded through a range of their music from the early '70s to today. [I only had my iPhone and its 2-mp camera, so the shots of the band are not that good; other than the shot of all four opening the show, I added two of the video screen, showing the iconic Hotel California bell tower and Don Henley and Joe Walsh at the end of the show]. Don Henley even gave a shout-out to J.D. Souther, "of Amarillo, Texas", who was a co-writer on many of their hits.


It was cool to see Joe Walsh in full-on antic mode, Glenn Frey playing the capable MC, and Henley occasionally moving off the drum kit to bang the bongos. Walsh played a technically perfect solo to Hotel California - probably something he has done 100,000 times - and added several of his solo and James Gang songs to the mix. They even did a rocking rendition of Henley's Boys of Summer. This was the music I grew up listening to, and it was great to hear it played with such precision and passion so many years later. The overall effect is that it made me miss America that much more.

Mötley Crüe

I like live music, which usually means cover bands in bars and restaurants here (Filipinos are notoriously good musicians, and I have found several bands that produce great cover versions of classic songs). I had not gone to an “actual” concert, however, during my time in Singapore. But, when I saw that Mötley Crüe was to make their first appearance in Southeast Asia, I had to go! The Crüe is one of my favorite rock bands (from my formative days listening to glam metal), and I couldn’t wait.


And they didn’t disappoint. After a creditable local opening band, Vince, Mick, Nikki, and Tommy came out with a vengeance. The venue was the amphitheatre at Fort Canning Park, just down River Valley Road from me (interestingly, the last time I was there was for my company’s annual Kick Off dinner in January 2008; the gala dinner was held right where the stage was!). The crowd was pretty big (for an ‘80s metal band, even the iconic Crüe), and very boisterous! A good part of the crowd appeared to be rockers from Malaysia, who had made the trip down for the show. There were even a good many from my generation and older. The band’s appeal is timeless, I suppose.

Vince has lost a bit of his voice, although the band was never about his singing. Mick Mars is still the average guitarist I have always thought him. But, the band’s stage presence has not waned, anchored by Nikki Sixx on bass and the best rock drummer in the world, Tommy Lee. Tommy has not missed a beat (pun intended), and his solos are still great (not the full-blown 360-degree flip in his drum cage, a la 1990, but still awesome for the smaller stage). It was a great time.

My photos aren’t that great, as I only had my phone camera, so I have posted a couple from the internet, courtesy of PokeChild.com.



For you Crüe fans, here is the playlist. Most of the good stuff – I had no complaints.

Kick Start My Heart
Shout at the Devil
Saints of Los Angeles
Guitar solo – Voodoo Chile
Live Wire
Sick Love Song
Louder Than Hell
Don’t Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)
Same Ol’ Situation
Primal Scream
Red Hot
Looks That Kill
Girls Girls Girls
Dr. Feelgood
Home Sweet Home (encore)